Nine Decades of Transformation: Building a Beverage Empire Digitalisation • Sustainability • Specialty - Brewing the Future
In Hong Kong, coffee and tea - one from the West, the other from the East - blend together to create Hong Kong’s distinctive beverage culture. From Hong Kong-style milk tea in cha chaan tengs to the artisanal hand-brewed coffee in cafés, and even to the iconic “YuenYeung” that blends both drinks in one cup, each sip reflects the city’s vibrant fusion of East meets West.
For ninety years, Hiang Kie Coffee Group (“Hiang Kie”) has been deeply rooted in Hong Kong’s food and beverage landscape, providing end-to-end catering solutions for hotels, Western restaurants, clubs, airline caterers, fast food chains and cafes, serving over 100,000 customer outlets worldwide, which means there is a high chance you have already enjoyed a cup from Hiang Kie occasionally.
Mr Clive Chan, Chief Executive Officer of Hiang Kie Coffee Group, said, “We’ve always believed in perfecting every single drink. Guided by our DGS strategy - Digital, Green and Specialty, we continuously elevate quality while bringing Hong Kong’s beverage culture to the Mainland China and overseas, and at the same time create new
opportunities.”
Transformation Pioneer: Shaping Modern Coffee Culture
Since joining Hiang Kie 2 decades ago, Clive has been determined to drive modernisation and transformation from inside out. Back in 2000, Hiang Kie established its factory in Jiangmen. Every year since, Clive has invested in advancing automated equipment to improve production efficiency. Clive said, “Many Hong Kong companies were moving their production lines to Chinese Mainland at the time. We started with 20 to 30 workers, and today, we have around 60 to 70. With technology, we never needed a large workforce.” Today, Hiang Kie operates over 18 branch offices across Chinese Mainland, covering major cities like Guangzhou, Beijing, Wuhan, and Chengdu, with Shanghai in particular serving as a major hub for the Group’s Chinese Mainland operations.
Transformation did not stop there. Clive also observed that coffee culture at the time was polarised. “On one end, the everyday brews served in local cha chaan tengs and traditional HK-style cafes; on the other, the luxury coffee experiences in hotel cafes. What was missing was a relaxed, refined yet accessible coffee experience.” Inspired by the modern, leisurely coffee culture, he led Hiang Kie to evolve beyond the role as an equipment supplier and become a comprehensive beverage solutions provider — offering beverage consultancy, professional brewing recommendations, equipment support, and maintenance.
Clive cited one of its chain restaurant clients as an example. “Before the pandemic, the restaurant wanted to create its own distinctive offering. We developed a coffee profile tailored to Hong Kong tastes, supported by equipment tailored to Hong Kong’s fast paced operations and staff training for a comprehensive upgrade.” Hiang Kie has also formed a dedicated team to track AIoT developments, including the introduction of the US brand xBloom smart hand brew coffee machine. Designed by a former Apple product designer, the machine brings artisanal hand brew coffee craftsmanship to life through technology. By setting brewing recipes via a mobile app, users can easily extract a cup of hand brewed coffee comparable to that prepared by a professional barista. In addition, some coffee machines are equipped with integrated payment systems, making them suitable for 24-hour venues such as hospitals, schools and fitness centres, where quality coffee can be delivered to customers at any time.
Green Milestones: Starting with the Supply Chain
More than a decade ago, the company had already obtained Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance certifications, ensuring that its raw materials meet strict environmental and social responsibility standards. Hiang Kie has also adopted GS1 HK’s ezTRADE platform to electronically process its day to day orders and invoices with food and beverage clients, achieving paperless operations while systematically handling multiple orders to significantly improve efficiency.
With HKEX requiring large listed companies to disclose Scope 3 ESG emissions, Hiang Kie has moved in step with its major restaurant group clients by adopting GS1 HK’s ESG supply chain platform. Simply by inputting supply quantities, emission data can be generated automatically for the restaurant group to manage. Clive said, “SMEs have limited resources, and ESG reporting is not easy to handle on our own. With a reliable platform, the process becomes both accurate and efficient – benefiting our team and clients alike.”
Hiang Kie has also been actively exploring the application of eco-friendly materials. Clive explained, “We have replaced traditional plastic nylon teabag materials with corn fibre, and transitioned our product packaging to FSC certified paper and biomass based inks. We are even promoting the use of products made from spent coffee grounds, such as coffee cups. Sustainability is not solely the responsibility of large enterprises - it is a shared mission across everyone in the supply chain.
Specialty Experiences: The Beverage Story
Keeping pace with the specialty coffee trend, Hiang Kie’s in house brand Silver Mona sources coffee beans from renowned origins around the world, delivering refined and curated coffee experiences. Besides encouraging continuous training and hands on learning, Clive values close communication with Gen Z employees to understand their preferences and perspectives. This has led to refreshed interpretations of classic beverages, such as “Hong Kong style Earl Grey Milk Tea” and the “Da Hong Pao YuenYeung”, both of which were warmly received at coffee festivals.
Clive has also observed that in recent years, coffee culture has evolved into a powerful way of connecting communities and people (coffee connecting people). Coffee markets and similar events create a relaxed and healthier atmosphere that naturally draws younger generations together. He believes that the future of the food and beverage industry will focus increasingly on delivering “emotional value”. This philosophy is reflected in the brand’s thoughtful approach to packaging and cup design, they collaborated with artists to create hand drawn illustrations inspired by Hong Kong’s iconic “Dai Pai Dong” culture, as well as designs inspired by the traditional tiled floor patterns found in classic “cha chaan tengs” - all evoking a strong sense of local nostalgia. In recent years, as more food & beverage clients expand from Hong Kong into Southeast Asia and the Middle East, Hiang Kie supports them with equipment set-up and coffee, tea selection.
When asked whether coffee or tea is more popular, Clive believes that both hold strong growth potential. He encourages more young people to join the food and beverage industry, “With passion, clear goals, and a commitment to doing the best, young people can certainly carve out their own path in this industry.”
Reflecting on future challenges and development, Clive keeps close to heart a saying by Mr Chan Wing on, Founder of Tai Hing Group, “Even amid significant change, focus on doing the best and boldly showcasing your strengths.” As Hiang Kie approaches its centenary, the Group will continue to deepen its roots not only in coffee, but also in tea culture including the launch of “Hiang Kee Tea” premium wellness tea collection designed to foster connection and harmony through tea.
